


The Caged Pit

by Durrant



Category: Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: Bestiality, Captivity, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Stillbirth, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-03
Updated: 2013-09-06
Packaged: 2017-12-13 21:27:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/829068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Durrant/pseuds/Durrant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bane takes mercy on the prisoners who are sent into his cell, he snaps their necks cleanly. It is a kindness to kill them whilst he is still human. He knows from bitter experience the agony of a werewolf's bite. </p><p>But when John Blake is sent to him Bane cannot kill him, so he tries to mate with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He should have left three months ago, there was nothing for him here. There was just nowhere for him to go. 

He had lived a lifetime in the Pit and then a few short months with the League. There was no home for him to return to, so he stayed in the mountains. So that he would be close to _her_. 

He was still a man, for a few more hours at least, but he could feel the wolf in him becoming stronger. He could feel the wolf’s pain, it was alone, without pack or mate. It was a familiar pain.

* * *

He could see the disgust in Ra’s al Ghul’s eyes as soon as he had awoken. It had not mattered to him then, the good opinion of anyone except Talia had never been important. The mask had dug into his face, the discomfort one he had not yet become inured to. When he reached to try and remove it, Ra’s had stopped him. 

It had been explained to Bane how he had been rescued from the Pit by Talia’s father, his own memory of that time too filled with pain to be reliable. He was told that he would need to wear the mask for the rest of his life, to permanently supply him with painkillers as his injuries were so severe. 

No-one had told him how much Ra’s al Ghul wanted to see him leave the League of Shadows. He had seen that for himself. He could see the guilt and envy in al Ghul whenever Talia spent time with Bane. He could see the man’s shame, his daughter had needed a protector and he had not been there for her. 

Bane had expected al Ghul’s vengeance, he had not expected it be so swift or so harsh.

Bane’s training had begun almost as soon as he was well enough to get out of bed. His muscles screamed and his bones had a weariness that made him yearn for sleep, but he refused to be cowed. He refused to show weakness in front of Talia’s father; the man who had saved him from the Pit and yet despised him. Bane had wanted to show his worth.

They would train at dusk, on the ice far from the others. Ra’s al Ghul attacking him with a force that he never used with the other trainees. Bane knew it was meant as an insult, as an honest desire to cause him pain, but Bane rejoiced in it. He could take the pain stoically, it was a chance to prove himself. 

The evening that Ra’s al Ghul moved against Bane was unexceptional. The moon was always bright in the mountains, the full moon was as meaningless to Bane as it was beautiful. It was the first that Bane had ever truly seen. The fight was particularly vicious that evening but Bane had not been so distracted that he hadn’t heard the howling of the wolves. He had not feared them, he had long ago learned that man was the most dangerous beast. 

A savage blow to the side of his head had stunned him, knocking him to his knees. When al Ghul had approached him Bane had expected aid, instead he received a kick to the head. The older man had knelt by his side as Bane eyed him warily, unable to defend himself.

“Do you hear the call of the wolves, Bane? They cry for you, and soon you will join them. They are werewolves, men who have been cursed to lose their humanity every month. I doubt you have much humanity left to lose, that is, if you survive.” Bane could barely hear him, his head was swimming from the blows, but he felt as Ra’s al Ghul undid the buckles of his mask.

Bane’s eyes fluttered shut, the sudden pain too much to bear. He must have passed out, because when he opened his eyes Ra’s al Ghul was gone and the wolves had surrounded him. His weapons were gone. He struggled to his feet, shaking his head to try and clear it. The creatures growled and snarled at him as they slowly circled him. 

The first that leapt at him was easy to catch, its neck snapping smoothly in Bane’s hands. The second and third attacked at the same time. Bane killed the wolf that approached him from the front, but the second was behind him and he couldn’t reach it until after it had bitten into him. The scent of his blood had excited the pack. They swarmed forward as Bane continued to swat at them, he saw one wolf fall after he punched it in the head, but that one was replaced by two more. 

They jumped up at him and he could not shake them off. He fell back to his knees, overwhelmed by the sheer number of wolves. 

The creatures bit into him, tearing at his skin. He could feel the ripping of muscles and heard the crunch of his bones. His life outside of the Pit had been short, but as he felt his death approach he was glad that he had experienced freedom before he died.

* * *

He awoke cold and alone. 

His wounds had healed and, even though he wasn’t wearing the mask, he was in no pain. Around him lay the corpses of six men. 

In the Pit he had heard stories of werewolves, but he had never believed them. He had thought them a fantasy dreamed up by men desperate to escape the terrible reality of the Pit. Now, he was one. 

He walked back to the League, uncertain of his welcome but feeling well for the first time since Talia had escaped the Pit and he had been so mercilessly attacked.

* * *

“Father said that if you survived the bite, then you would be a monster.”

Talia looked up at him and Bane could see the fear in her eyes. Even when his face had been deformed by the mask she had never feared him before.

“He..He says it’s not safe for you to stay here, that you’ll have to leave.”

He could not tell her that her father had done this. She had finally found her family and she deserved a life with her father. If he told her the truth then there was a chance she would leave with him. Talia had suffered enough in her young life, she deserved better than to be the companion of a werewolf. 

He left alone. Talia looked relieved as he said his farewells to her, he did not know if it was because he was leaving or because he had not asked her to come with him.

* * *

This would be his third full moon and he was still in the Himalayas. There was nowhere else to go. He had found a cave, far enough away from the League that he had not been seen but close enough that he did not feel lost. Since he’d been turned, he had changed. He was faster and stronger than he had been before. He did not seem to need as much to eat, which was well as there was not much to eat beyond the occasional mountain goat. 

He could feel the wolf just under his skin, crying out to be let loose. The moon was rising. He felt his bones break apart as he started to change. 

The wind changed direction and suddenly he could smell strangers close by. He wanted to get away, but he couldn’t stand as his feet changed into paws. He tried to howl his pain and frustration, but his throat was still human and the noise sounded like a scream. 

He didn’t hear a gun, but he felt a hot sting as his flesh was pierced and then his body began to relax. A tranquiliser. He’d been shot with a tranquiliser.

* * *

Bane awoke slowly. He must have been unconscious all night, as he was a man again. He kept his eyes closed and sniffed the air. There was no need to open his eyes to know where he was. Despair flooded him. He was back home. He was back in the Pit.


	2. Chapter 2

He had been in this cell before. One of the few men who collected books, rather than burning them, had lived in this cell. Bane had thought about taking this cell from him. He had always preferred the cells that looked like this one; three solid walls and bars only on the front wall. The cell faced a wall, with such poor visibility it was impossible to know when enemies were approaching. Bane had let the man keep his home, he had given Bane a book in gratitude. 

His captors had changed the place around. Instead of bars there was a large, transparent plastic wall. Holes at the top of the plastic pumped in fresh air through a machine so that Bane could feel a faint breeze. There was an outline of a door in the plastic, with a strange metal box that seemed to be a type of lock. Technology was new to Bane, but he could appreciate the expense of the cage he found himself in. 

He knew his captor was near. The plastic was thick but he could hear quite well through it. He could hear them breathing heavily just outside his field of vision. The pumped in air meant he couldn’t smell the man, but he didn’t need the man’s scent to know what he was feeling. His captor feared him, he was preparing himself before he introduced himself to Bane. 

“You’re awake,” the man said, as he stepped in front of the cell. He was rather short with thick spectacles. It pleased Bane to think that a few short months ago this man would have been killed as soon as he’d stepped foot in the Pit. He looked weak. 

“You must be wondering what you’re doing here. Well, we just have a few experiments we want to run, and a few questions we need answered, and then you’ll be free to go home. I’m sorry we couldn’t arrange nicer accommodation for you, but after all where do you cage a beast? Well, naturally, you put it somewhere it has already shown it cannot escape from.” The man giggled to himself, and reached for something on the wall outside Bane’s cell. 

There was a hiss, and then the air coming into the room smelled different, like a chemical that reminded Bane of the painkillers that had constantly flooded his mask. The man was filling his cell with gas. Bane tried to avoid breathing it in, but he felt slightly odd, almost drowsy. The man looked at Bane expectantly. 

Bane realised that whatever effect they thought this drug was meant to have on him it was nowhere as potent as they expected. He lay down on the bed, closed his eyes and pretended to be incapacitated. He knew that his movements would be sluggish, but he was not entirely helpless.

It was awhile before the chemically tang left the cell, and the pleasant smell of fresh air had returned. Finally, Bane heard the door to his cell open. He kept his eyes shut.

He was lifted onto a gurney by three men. They didn’t tie him down. Bane thought about making his move immediately, but he knew that he could only take advantage of the weakness of the gas once. He had no way of leaving the Pit once he killed his guards.

Lying still, he tracked where they were taking him. He knew every step of this prison, he could navigate it with his eyes closed. But he didn’t know where they were going. 

They opened numerous locks and took him through a door. This door wasn’t part of the Pit he knew. They had built this. Which meant he didn’t know where he was. He would have to wait, until he had gathered as much information as he could, before he made his escape.

* * *

The tests had been going on for days, or maybe weeks. They’d taken his blood and his saliva and pumped him full of so many drugs that he couldn’t keep track of time. 

“Tell me about your pack,” the nameless man asked, “I just want to know how big your pack is, then you can go home to them.”

Bane stared straight ahead, there wasn’t any reason to look at the man. 

“So the bite doesn’t always turn a human, does it? Were you bitten? You couldn’t have born a werewolf, not down here.”

The man sighed. 

“I want to help you, I want you to be able to go home. I just need a few answers.”

Bane wondered if he would have been tempted to talk if he had a home to go to.

* * *

Before they transferred him from room to room they always knocked him out with sedative gas. Each time they gassed him he felt slightly more aware, slightly less sluggish. Soon, he would have a complete tolerance to it. Once he could be certain of his exit, he would make his escape. The network of tunnels that had been added onto the Pit was large. He just didn’t have enough information yet.

This time he opened his eyes in a new room. He was lying at the bottom of a narrow well, the floor was slightly damp and as he roused himself more water poured into room through holes in the wall. 

He stood up, but the water was quickly to his waist and rising. 

There had been large baths at the League. It had been the first time in his life he been submerged in water. The water there had been hot, to relax the muscles after a hard day’s training. This water was cold. 

Bane had never swam before. As the water approached his neck he threw out his arms and kicked his legs, treading water for the first time. This was another test. They had tested his body with drugs, they had tested his mind with questions and now they wanted to find out how strong he was. He wondered idly if they would let him drown if he decided to just stop moving. 

He tried to keep track of how long they forced him to tread water. When he had counted to five minutes the water quickly lowered. The drains at the bottom of the room had been opened. 

The next day he had to tread water for ten minutes.

* * *

The air in his cell had been cleared of chemicals when they brought in the girl. He pretended to be asleep as she cried and huddled against the plastic wall. 

She was in her teens, perhaps a few years older than Talia. Bane knew what they expected him to do. It was the full moon that night. They wanted to know what the wolf would do with the child. 

He had felt the pain of being killed by werewolves and he would not inflict it on anyone else. Except those that had captured him. 

He didn’t speak to the girl. That was not the comfort that he could offer her. Instead he walked towards her calmly, so that she would not know she was about to die. Her neck broke with a loud click. It was the only kindness he could show her. 

His guards did not remove her body until the next morning. By then the wolf had tasted her, biting into her corpse and spreading blood all over the cell. Bane woke with the taste of flesh blood in his mouth. He knew what the wolf had done, but he had no control over it.

* * *

His captors were not pleased with him. 

They promised him books in exchange for information. Bane told them his name and received Shakespeare’s sonnets in return. 

They slowly increased the amount of time he was expected to tread water for. When it got to forty minutes he pretended to drown. They drained the chamber quickly and he was not put in there again.

* * *

The next full moon a woman was put in his cell. She was older than the first and reminded him of Talia’s mother. He had known few women but he recognised the look of defeat as he approached her. He fancied that she smiled as he broke her neck, that she understood the kindness he was showing her.

* * *

He was so close to escaping. The gas still affected him, and he could not test his strength while he was supposed to be incapacitated without raising the alarm. In the last month he had barely been taken out of his cell and he was no longer sure he knew all the tunnels that lay behind the door to the Pit that his captors had built. 

The full moon was coming, and he did not want to be forced to kill again.

It was already too late. He could hear the thud of multiple footsteps approaching the cell, but he remained lying on his bed.

“Bane. Bane!” A woman shrieked, tapping on the plastic. Two guards had their tranq guns out and trained on the door in the clear wall. It was the same way they delivered food. 

“Doctor,” Bane said mockingly. He had heard the guards call this woman a doctor. She was the third person he’d ever met who was supposed to be a healer. She shared the Pit doctor’s sadistic pleasure in causing her patients pain. 

A young man stood nervously besides the guards, his eyes flitting as he considered running away. He was the most beautiful man Bane had ever seen, delicate and lithe unlike the grubby previous inmates of the Pit, or the scarred muscles of the League. 

“I have a new guest for you, Bane. His name is Robin Blake,” The female said, as she tapped the code into the panel and the door swung open. She gave Blake a shove. He hesitated, then stepped into the cell. It wasn’t like he had much choice. 

The plastic sealed shut behind him.

“This is your last chance. Kill this one before you turn and they will kill you.” Bane kept his eyes on the new arrival.

“Do you understand, Bane? There is no point continuing this experiment, and it will be terminated unless you behave,” she finished. Bane finally looked at her, letting his hatred show on his face. The doctor recoiled slightly, before turning away. Bane turned his attention back to his book, ignoring Blake, as their captors left. He didn’t need to look at the young man, he could smell his fear.

“You killed your other cellmates?” Blake asked. Bane looked up sharply, surprised that John had spoken to him. 

“I have snapped the neck of everyone who has come in here,” Bane answered him levelly. 

“Why?”

“Mercy,” Bane said, turning his attention back to his book.

* * *

Blake sat on the floor, staring at the sunlight on the cobbled cell floor while Bane lay on his bed, lost in thought. He thought he knew what would appease the wolf, what might stop the wolf from tearing the slight young man into pieces.

 

“People call me John, it’s my middle name. I’m from Gotham, I’m here on vacation.” Blake’s soft voice surprised Bane. He supposed John was trying to make himself more human and so harder to kill, Bane wondered if it was a technique that ever worked. 

“What is this place?” John asked.

Bane closed his book and sat up on the bed. John tensed. 

“Hell on Earth, the Pit was an inescapable prison,” Saying it outloud made him think of Talia and the pride he felt as he saw her make her escape. He kept his face composed, it was a weakness to show any emotion too obviously. Whatever happened to this young man in the next few hours, John was not a threat to him, but he was sure that two of the devices embedded in the plastic wall were cameras, constantly monitoring his behaviour.

“How do you know that?” 

“I was born in this place and did not leave until I was a man.” 

“You were born in a prison?” John interrupted. Bane was amused, even facing his own death the young man was inquisitive and skeptical. 

“You are very far from home, Mr.Blake.” 

“So..You served your sentence and then left?” John asked, clearly confused. This time Bane didn’t hide his amusement. He laughed. 

“No, Mr. Blake,” Bane said with laughter still in his voice, “No man sent down here was ever expected to leave. I was rescued.”

“Oh..” John paused, his confusion betraying his innocence and naivete. “But they caught you? And brought you back?”

“You are an amusing man, it is unfortunate you will be dead soon.”

John tensed again.

“You don’t have to kill me.” John said, trying to sound as calm as Bane did; who just sighed at him.

“Tonight is the full moon,” Bane stated. John frowned and tilted his head in confusion. “And I am a werewolf.”

John’s eyes widened. Bane had not expected someone who lived in a city to have any experience with werewolves, but he clearly understood the danger of staying in the cell with Bane. 

“So, you don’t want to kill me? And those others, whose necks you snapped, that was so you wouldn’t rip them apart when you were a wolf?”

“Yes.”

“And that’s what the doctor meant. If you kill me before you turn, then they’ll kill you? Because they want to see the wolf killing people.” John asked, looking like he was about to vomit. Bane understood. Death by werewolf would be an unfortunate and painful accident, this calculated murder as part of an experiment was far worse.

* * *

The cell was getting darker and Bane knew that he would have to act soon. 

“Come here,” Bane said suddenly. John glanced up as Bane undid his pants and took out his cock.

“What are you -” John spluttered.

“You will do as I say or you will die tonight,” Bane said, unembarrassed as he stroked himself to hardness. He could see the indecision in John’s face, and the second that it turned to cautious acceptance. Warily, he approached Bane; who grabbed him and pushed him down, so that he knelt almost between Bane’s knees. 

“Hey!” John yelled.

“Hush, this is your one chance,” Bane said, his voice breathless.

John watched, mesmerised, as Bane jerked off in front of him. Bane’s large hand covered most of his cock and John could only see the purple head occasionally as Bane furiously fisted himself. He had never done this in front of anyone before and the fascination on John’s face was more arousing than anything he’d ever seen before. It was so different from the rushed fumblings, alone in darkened corners that were his only experiences of pleasure. 

He grabbed hold of John’s hair, tipping John’s head back as he stood up; his dick in John’s face. John pressed his eyes shut as hot ropes of come landed on his face in spurt after spurt. 

Finally Bane finished, smearing the come across John’s face, wiping it into his cheeks with his cock. When John opened his eyes he started using his hands instead. Rubbing it into John’s face and then into his hair and neck. 

John’s cheek burned red with shame and embarrassment.

“This..this is going to stop you killing me? Like you, you smell yourself on me? When you’re a wolf?”

Bane nodded and sat down on the bed. It was nearly time.

* * *

This time the wolf was not angry, he was intrigued. He was still trapped by walls that didn’t move no matter how hard he threw himself at them. Again, there was another in here with him, this time the human was still alive. 

The small man in his cell smelled like his mate. He was confused to find his mate was human and not wolf. More importantly, the mate did not smell enough like him. The wolf could smell the desert sand and human chemicals on his mate’s skin. He could smell other humans on his mate’s skin and the idea angered him. He growled, baring his teeth at his mate to show his displeasure. 

He did not want his mate to fear him, but the mate must learn to whom he belonged. He must learn to submit. 

The wolf leapt, landing on top of his mate. He opened his mouth and pressed his teeth into his mate's neck. He didn’t pierce the skin, just pressing his teeth against the soft flesh. The human was breathing quickly, the small room suddenly thick with the smell of fear. The wolf was satisfied. 

The wolf let go of the man’s neck and, instead, licked the man from his collar bone to his ear. He sniffed at the strip he had just licked, it was good. His mate should only ever smell of him. He licked another strip along the man’s throat. He clawed at the material that separated him from his mate’s skin, it shredded off the human’s chest easily. His claws caught on his mate’s soft skin and the wolf could smell the man’s blood. He whined an apology. His mate was delicate.

He licked his mate’s chest, pebbling his small nipples and rubbing his scent into his armpits. Clothing still covered his mate’s legs and when he scratched at them his mate screamed out with meaningless human words, physically trying to push him back. 

He backed away slowly from his mate, growling to show his dominance, to let his mate know that he only backed away because he chose to. The human pulled the clothing off himself and lay back, presenting his belly in submission. 

He nuzzled his snout into his mate’s crotch, down here the scent of his mate was purer and he gave a pleased lick to his mate’s balls and hardening cock. His mate let out a stifled moaned that pleased the wolf, he wanted everyone to hear their mating and know this human was _his_. 

His long tongue curled around the short, human cock and he felt the man shaking beneath him. He licked his human’s crease, his tongue pushing slightly into the man’s hole with each lick. Withdrawing, he nosed at his mate’s side until he rolled onto his front and rose onto his hands and knees, presenting himself. The wolf grunted happily, his mate was obedient. 

He pushed his tongue inside the man, forcing saliva inside and working at the hole until the muscles were loose. 

Rearing up, he quickly mounted his mate, his long, thin cock slipping into the man beneath him. His mate screamed as he pushed himself further inside, the hole still tight despite how long he had spent opening it. He gave a powerful thrust and the man’s arms collapsed, his head and shoulders falling to the ground. The wolf was too lost in the tight heat of his mate to stop, instinct making him pound quickly into the man, setting a punishing pace until he threw his head back and howled as he came deep inside his mate.

He panted heavily, his swollen knot inside the man. He licked happily at his mate’s neck, this was a good mate. He wanted to bit down on the neck, but it was so small, so fragile that he daren’t. His knot contracted, and he pulled out regretfully.

He whined as he lapped at his mate’s crotch. His mate hadn’t come, he was still hard. He licked at his human’s cock, so careful to stick his tongue out and to keep his teeth from his man. When the man came it was with a scream. He lapped at the come, tasting his mate. 

The wolf was content, he didn’t need a pack, now he had a mate who he would never let go. This man belonged to him and all the world could smell it, his own scent heavy on the man’s skin. He curled his body around his mate’s, one paw over his chest so that no-one could take his mate without waking him, and fell asleep.

* * *

The change was as painful as ever.

Bane tried to stifle his cries as his body changed. He did not want to show weakness in front of his enemies. 

The young man was huddled on the bed looking fearful. If this were Talia he would take her in his arms and hold her to comfort her. But John was not Talia. She was a child who he loved and would have protected with his life. John was a stranger, but he was his mate. The idea sat strangely in his mind. He did not want to be controlled by the wolf, but every part of him seemed to cry out that this man _belonged_ to him. 

He had no memory of what the wolf had done but he knew. The smell reeked of sex. It saddened him. Bane had never lain with anyone before, had never taken a wife before. He wished that he could remember it, he wished he could remember what it felt like to be buried inside his mate. 

John was still looking at him with fear. Perhaps he always would, but he was alive and somehow that was more important than anything else.

A fierce wave of possessiveness filled Bane. He should feel nothing for this man, but he did, he wanted to hold onto him, to bury himself in the scent and flesh of this man and never let go.

He could feel the tension in his mate’s muscles. John must think him as much of a monster as everyone else had, more so. Bane resolved he would not take his mate again until John asked him. He would not let him go though, he could not stop touching his mate.

It was no longer enough to leave the Pit. His captors must be killed as well. They must pay for the suffering they had caused his mate.


	3. Chapter 3

“You said it would stop you killing me. You said - Do you remember what happened? Last night?”

John’s voice was rushed, his words spoken quickly to hide the slight tremor in his voice.

Bane crouched down, so that he was eye level with his mate, who lay on the bed across the cell from him.

“Be grateful that you are alive.”

He knew they were not words that would comfort John, but he didn’t know any that were. If being closer to John would alleviate his pain then Bane would have gladly gathered him up in his arms. He tried to remember what he had said to Talia after her mother had been killed. She had already been so hardened to the Pit that there had been few words spoken between them. They had both known the realities of life here. He tried to remember what the prison guards had said to him when he was a child. That was one of the few times any adult had shown him kindness, and he softly repeated the words to his new mate.

“You will endure.”

John stared at him, his face tensed as if he were expecting more of an explanation. When Bane said nothing more, John rolled over to face the wall. 

They sat in silence, John’s breathing uneven. Bane didn’t need to see his face to know he was crying. He wanted to warn his mate that he could hear the guards coming, they would be delivering their breakfast. He should hide his tears rather than appear weak before their captors. Except he could not warn John, not without letting _them_ know how acute his senses were.

* * *

There was only one tray of food, one bowl of porridge double the size of the usual rations that they gave him. Everything was a test, a constant monitoring of his reactions. He gave the bowl to John and told him to eat. 

“Are they going to bring more?” John asked, his tears drying as he eyed the steaming bowl longingly. 

“No.”

“So, this is to share?”

“Yes.”

John wiped his face with the bedsheets. 

“And, you’re giving this to me first?” John asked, blinking. His confusion was plain and Bane felt a surge of anger. Did his mate doubt that he would provide for him? He calmed himself instantly. John had no knowledge of such matters. Despite the cameras, this was a discussion that they must have.

“Eat your fill, little one,” Bane said, his voice as gentle as he could make it. John’s startled reaction showed his attempt had failed, although he did reach out and take the spoon.

* * *

“Do you know why the wolf did not kill you?” Bane asked from his seat on the floor. His mate had claimed the bed and had made no move to vacate it all morning. 

John blushed and fiddled with the sheet intertwined in his hand.

“Yeah, I got it.”

“Then you understand the wolf thought you were it’s mate.”

“Yeah,” John breathed softly. 

Bane slowly approached the bed. John’s eyes following him warily. Bane sat, and John scrambled to move himself to the other side of the bed, pressing himself against the wall. Then, still keeping his eyes on Bane, he pushed himself forward, away from wall. Bane was impressed. His mate was scared, but he would not let fear control his actions. He would have smiled, if he hadn’t thought that a smile from him would probably send his mate fleeing again. 

“Werewolves mate for life.” Bane said, keeping his voice controlled, suppressing his anger at even the idea that John would ever want to leave him. 

John frowned.

“For life?” he paused, still looking at Bane, “so, he’ll want...to do that to me every month?”

Bane considered. He couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting his beautiful mate. At least this time, he knew the right words to comfort John.

“Perhaps.” 

It was a good lie. The wolf would surely take the man every chance that it could get. John should be prepared. However, Bane could offer him the consolation that it might not be every month. John’s face paled. 

“You are my mate,” Bane said, watching the confusion spread across John’s face. He wanted to tell John exactly what that meant. That he would never let harm come to him, that he would do anything for him. But he could not admit such weakness in front of their captors. Instead he told John what he expected in return for his affections. 

“You are mine. If you let another touch you again, I will kill you,”

John’s eyes widened dramatically, almost comical in his shock.

“You’re insane,” he whispered.

“No matter where you are in the world, you belong to me. Do you understand this?” Bane growled as he smelled John’s rising fear. The wolf inside him, so close to the surface so soon after the full moon, howled. The urge to make his mate submit, to dominate him until he acknowledged their relationship, was strong. 

John twisted his head away from Bane, exposing his beautiful neck. The compulsion to bite his mate, to leave his mark and to show John his rightful place surged through him. He resisted as best he could. Instead, he raised his hand and gently stroked his mate’s neck. 

At his initial touch, John flinched away. Bane gripped his neck, his touch still gentle but he would not be thrown off.

“Do you understand?”

He could smell the fear and uncertainty on his mate. The seconds passed and still John remained silent. It pained him to know how thoroughly he disgusted his mate, how much John wanted to reject him. Finally, when Bane had almost given up hope, John whispered his answer.

“Yes, Bane.”


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the day passed in an uneasy silence. Each meal was delivered in the same way as breakfast had been; Bane eating whatever John did not want. His mate did not eat much. When they left the Pit, Bane would make sure that he was better fed. He tried to think of what he knew Americans liked, nodding to himself when he remembered what some of the other prisoners had once spoken of. He knew what he would bring his mate, he would find Coca-Cola for his mate.

John dozed fitfully throughout the day, Bane watching him cautiously from his seat on the floor. When the light began to dim Bane was torn. He did not wish to sleep alone on the floor, yet wished to be respectful of his mate. 

It was understandable that his mate was revolted by sex with his wolf form, and thus hesitant of Bane, even in this form. However, he had known many men barter sex for things. It had been a necessity for life in the Pit for any man too weak to survive by himself to exchange his body for protection or food. John was an innocent, he had never experienced the harsh realities of life before. Bane would be patient, he could wait until John realised how small the price he had paid for his life was. 

But, right now, he wanted to sleep in his bed, with his mate next to him.

John’s eyes snapped open as soon as he stood up. He didn’t flinch away as Bane approached the bed, which Bane counted as a minor victory. He was tempted to ask his mate to strip before they went to sleep, but decided, for now, that his mate needed more gentle coaxing. 

“Tonight, we shall sleep together.”

John’s face remained blank as he shuffled closer to the wall, giving Bane space on the bed. 

Bane lay down carefully. The bed was just big enough so that they could both lie down with only their sides touching. It was odd, to share a bed like this. He was aware of every point where their bodies touched, but, for now, he would not try to touch his mate more.

* * *

Bane woke to the knowledge that something was wrong. It took a moment to realise that he should not be alone in the bed. Although the cell was still dark, he could see John hunched up on the floor. He knew from painful experience that it would be almost impossible to sleep on the cold, uneven cobbles. 

Bane considered getting up and taking John’s place on the floor, allowing his mate to take the bed. But then, he wanted his mate to learn that comfort could only be found through him. That if John stopped resisting Bane, then they could be happy.

He spread his limbs out, trying to enjoy the extra space in his bed. After ten minutes, he had still not fallen back asleep. It seemed so strange to miss something, to pine for something, that he had only briefly experienced. He wanted his mate next to him and, more than that, he could not bare to see his mate so uncomfortable. 

He rose and went to John, gently picking him up. His mate had been dozing, but he woke up completely as Bane held him. John’s ineffectual kicks, punches and yells did not abate until Bane dropped him on the bed and stepped away.

“What the hell are you doing?” John yelled at him, but there was no way to explain himself.

“Sleep, little one.” Bane said, turning away and settling himself onto the spot on the floor that John had warmed. It was as uncomfortable as he remembered. It was a hardship that could be endured so long as it made his mate happy.

* * *

He did not sleep long past dawn. The wolf hated to sleep when they were surrounded by enemies, even though Bane knew he should be conserving his energy. He compromised by closing his eyes and lulling himself into a doze as he listened to his mate’s gentle snores.

* * *

“Bane?” John’s voice was hesitant, as if he feared talking to him. Once they left the Pit this, too, would have to be remedied.

“I’m sorry, about you sleeping on the floor last night. I think, that is, if you want, we should share. The bed. In future.”

Bane hesitated. Of course, that was what he wanted. John offered it so freely, but Bane knew the comforts of the flesh always came at a price. It didn’t matter though, whatever John’s price was, it would be worth it.

* * *

They barely spoke, save at meal times, when Bane offered food to John each time. His mate was shy and never presumed to take the food first. It warmed Bane’s heart to see him so submissive, acknowledging that every mouthful of food he ate was by Bane’s grace. 

In bed they barely touched, each night sending Bane into an agony of indecision. Should he pull John into his arms, where he so obviously belonged? Or should he remain content with this minimal amount of contact? John was his mate, he had submitted to Bane; he had acknowledged that he _belonged_ to him. Bane should have the right to do anything he wanted to John, but his mate was so fragile, so innocent. 

Bane huffed in confusion. John, asleep next to him, shuffled slightly. Bane pulled the covers up to John’s shoulders, tucking him in so he wouldn’t feel the chill that permeated the Pit at night. In the summer, the nighttime was the only respite from the sweltering heat.

Bane leant over cautiously, and brushed his lips against his mate’s temple. John and he would be long gone before the summer arrived.

* * *

“What are you reading?”

It was the first time in days that John had spoken. He had eaten more today and relieved himself in the facilities in the corner of the cell without embarrassment for the first time. His mate was getting better and Bane must encourage him. 

“Poetry.”

There didn’t seem much else to say, but Bane couldn’t let them sink back into the silence that had finally been broken. 

“Would you like me to read to you?”

John looked up quickly, clearly shocked at the suggestion. 

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” he said with a sigh, letting his head fall back on the pillow. Bane opened his book at the beginning and began to read sonnet number one. He hadn’t read aloud since he’d taught Talia how to read English. 

_“From fairest creatures we desire increase,”_ he began

* * *

It had been so long since they’d pumped gas into the cell that it caught him by surprise. His first thought was that he must catch John; he mustn’t let him fall unconscious where he stood, in case he was hurt. John had already fallen onto the bed though, he was safe. 

After so long without experiencing the drug he was dismayed to feel how much it was affecting him now. Gently, so as not to crush John, he lowered himself to the bed. Wherever they woke up the experience would be tortuous, but in these precious few minutes before their captors came he could bask in being so close to his mate.

* * *

He recognised the route they were taking. That was good, because it meant he knew the layout of the compound better than he had thought. It was, however, really quite bad; this would not be a pleasant experience.

* * *

“Where are we?” John asked groggily, still affected by the gas.

“A well that is about to be flooded.” 

John stood up, suddenly alert. Bane felt a flare of pride in his mate, his body might be weak, but his mind was strong.

“What can we do? You’ve been here before?” John asked, moving with nervous energy to examine the holes from which the water would soon pour. He turned his back on Bane, it was one of the first times that Bane had not held his complete attention; this was also a good sign, in the face of a common enemy, John was standing with him. 

“We will swim.”

“You can’t be serious,” John turned round to gape at him, “this is a test isn’t it? Just another one of their science experiments?”

Bane’s answer was drowned out by the rush of water rapidly filling the chamber.

* * *

John was not a strong swimmer, after barely five minutes of treading water he began to flag. Bane grabbed hold of him easily, despite John’s attempts to push him away.

“Save..your strength,” he panted into Bane’s ear as his wriggled against Bane’s body in a way that, at any other time, would have been pleasurable. Bane pulled his arm across John’s chest, pushing his body up and away.

“I..can..manage,” John panted, but he didn’t bother responding. He couldn’t risk John sinking, there was no guarantee that they would empty the well for John and if he tried to sink so soon then they would know he was faking it.

* * *

Bane found it hard to keep track of time, his thoughts were too distracted. He estimated he had been treading water for twenty minutes. Soon he would pretend to fail and they would sink into the water. He knew he could do this for hours more, but at some point he would always fail and have to risk John drowning. 

The water seemed darker to him this time, more menacing and he daren’t let John go. Of course, the fear was irrational, but, even so, Bane intended to clutch him tightly whenever they finally went below the surface.

Bane was torn, was it too early to sink? How much longer should he wait? In his desperation he began to think of the one place he would rather be. He thought of their cell together, how he longed to be there now; in the sanctuary of their bed where they could lie down together and Bane could feel his mate by his side. It was strange to think that he had found happiness in the Pit. 

Pulling John towards him, he let his movements become weaker. With each weakened push the water got higher up his face. He held John’s face above the dark water, but to make it believable John must eventually descend into the water too.

Finally, when his lungs were starting to burn, he pulled John down into the water. The two of them sank slowly, each second as terrifying to Bane as seeing Talia climb from the Pit had been. 

The rush of water as it drained from the well was the most beautiful thing that Bane had ever heard.

* * *

John was still spluttering when the gas was pumped into the well; Bane wanted to roar with frustration, he wanted to tear their limbs from their bodies. Could they not see his mate was suffering?

* * *

John was gone when he woke, strapped to a chair in the interrogation room.

“He’s pretty, isn’t he? Your _mate_. ” His captor smiled at him, keeping up the pretense of friendship despite the months of Bane’s captivity. Behind him the female doctor stood by the door, shifting her feet and cradling a tranquiliser gun.

“And you seem to care an awful lot about him. That’s nice, isn’t it, Doctor?” the man kept staring at Bane’s face, looking for any flicker of reaction, behind him the woman curled her lip in disgust. 

“Animal,” she hissed viciously.

“I don’t think your mate likes you much; of course, you can hardly blame him. All the love in the world isn’t going to make up for what you did last full moon.”

Bane kept his face impassive, he could not show his enemies how much their words stung.

“You haven’t got long until the next full moon, you know. Are you going to rape him again? You think he’ll ever forgive you?”

The man leaned forward, so close that Bane could almost touch him.

“We both know you’re not really a monster. You don’t want to hurt him. We could separate you, just while you’re changed, and then give him back to you after. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

It made sense, he shouldn’t have John near him when he would only hurt him; but the wolf inside him screamed in rage at the very idea of these puny humans taking his mate away.

“All we want is little bit of information. Just tell us about your pack, and then we’ll make sure Mr Blake is safe.”

Bane closed his eyes. He had no information for them, and, even if he did, he would not be manipulated so easily. John would be claimed by the wolf again and, even though it would make John despise him even more, part of Bane growled in satisfaction at the prospect.


	5. Chapter 5

“You saved me.” The amazement in John’s voice cut Bane. How could his mate not understand the lengths he would go to in order to keep him safe?

“And you always give me the food first. And you weren’t going to make me share the bed.” John continued as he sat, huddled in sheets and looking exhausted after their time in the water. 

“Why? Why are you doing this?”

“Because you are mine.” Bane answered levelly, 

“I’m not a thing, you can’t just _own_ me.” 

Bane hid his amusement. Men sold themselves all the time, it was a necessity of life; the weak had no other defence against the strong. 

“I just don’t understand,” John peered up at him with his forlorn little face, “why are you...? I mean, you say shit like that, but then you do things...I just don’t understand!”

Bane contemplated his confused mate. Their captors already knew that Bane would do much to protect his mate. They were already trying to use John against him. How much further would they go once they realised just how dear to him John was? 

Bane sat down heavily on the bed, to his surprise John shuffled closer to him until they were almost touching. 

“Thank you, for what you did in there. I think I would have drowned without you.”

John shivered, his hair was still dripping wet even though he had changed into the dry clothes that had been left in their cell. Bane put his arms around his small mate and pulled him closer to try and warm him up. John’s whole body stiffened, but in his weakened state he could not put up much resistance. Gradually he relaxed and let his damp head rest on Bane’s shoulder. Droplets of water fell onto Bane’s upper body but he was not uncomfortable. His mate was letting him touch him and he had never been happier in his life. 

He could not smile. He could not let his captors know how much John’s actions meant to him, instead he turned his head and kissed John’s wet hair. His mate stirred slightly, but Bane doubted he had even realised he was being kissed. After all, who would expect kisses from a monster?

* * *

“You weren’t here when I woke up.” John said as they lay in bed that night, their sides touching lightly.

“No,”

“Did they take you elsewhere? Did they do something else to you?” John rolled on his side to look into Bane’s face, despite the dim light. Bane smiled, his mate was worried about him and the thought filled him with joy. However, he had no intention of telling John what they had offered him. John was his and he should put aside all thoughts of escaping Bane. 

“Yes.”

“Well? Are you OK?”

“Yes.”

John sighed loudly.

“Did they hurt you?”

Bane considered briefly lying to see what comfort his mate would offer him.

“There is nothing to discuss.”

John lay back down. It seemed like he was even further away than usual, as if John were pressing himself into the wall rather than have to touch Bane.

* * *

“The full moon is coming soon, isn’t it?”

Bane nodded. He could feel the wolf getting ever closer to the surface, even though he had not seen the moon in months. 

“I was thinking, about you know, what we did last time. I was wondering, if I was, if I smelled like, uh, the wolf’s mate, then it wouldn’t want to do what it did last time.”

Bane stared at his little mate, wrapped up in his nest on the bed. He could not possibly be suggesting what Bane assumed he was. 

“What, exactly, do you mean?” he asked as John blushed furiously.

“If, instead of, mating, with the wolf, we could do it. Because, well, I’d rather you than the wolf. So, if you think it’ll make a difference, then I think we should do it, um, we should have sex. If you want.” John finished, his cheeks bright red and his eyes fixed firmly on the ground.

Bane regarded him slowly. So, his mate preferred him in his human form than his wolf one. That was understandable. He had no idea how it would affect the wolf’s behaviour. The thought of being inside his mate was too delicious, it was too much of a temptation and he could not think rationally. He had already given his virginity to John, this time he desperately wanted to remember it, but he could not fuck him under false pretences. 

“I do not know if it will make a difference, but I am willing to try.” Bane said guardedly, his desire carefully hidden away.

* * *

That evening they received a jar of lube with their evening meal. It just proved to Bane how right he had been to be so cautious with how much affection he showed John. They were watching their every move, listening to their every conversation.

* * *

They lay in bed, their sides touching. John had not spoken since their momentous conversation that afternoon. The jar of lube was tucked under Bane’s pillow, so that he could feel it just under his head, a constant reminder of what John had offered. 

“Do you want to..? Right now? Cos I don’t want to do it during the day, I mean I know they’re always watching, but it feels more private at night,” John said as he turned towards Bane, but rather than wait for an answer John lunged towards him. His lips pressed awkwardly against Bane’s, their noses smashing together uncomfortably. For a split second Bane felt a wave of panic, the only other time another man had been this close to his face was during a fight. He had headbutted the man to death, smashing his face in with his forehead for trying to steal food. If John attacked him then he would have to incapacitate him, he would have to risk hurting him. The very idea of causing John pain was repugnant to him.

“Sorry, sorry,” John babbled as he pushed himself away from Bane, “I just thought we should...But it’s not like this is a date. We should just get on with it, it’s not like we’re in love.”

John smiled bitterly then rolled onto his stomach, pushing his loose pants down to his thighs, exposing his beautiful little ass. Bane sat perfectly still, watching in amazement. Slowly he edged closer to John and pulled the pants down completely. John turned his head to the side from where it had been buried in the pillow. 

“You don’t have to...Let’s not be romantic,” John muttered, handing Bane the jar of lube. 

Bane put his hand carefully on the soft flesh of John’s thigh, stroking him gently and watching avidly as the skin pebbled. John shifted uncomfortably and spread his legs wider. 

Bane could not hold back his hum of appreciation as he caressed the soft mounds of his mate’s ass. He was so pretty, so perfect for Bane. 

Slowly, he pushed one lubed finger into the tight ring of muscle, pausing when it did not give way immediately. With another gentle push, his finger was suddenly inside John’s body. He looked at his disappearing finger with amazement and incredulity. He was inside his mate’s body, and inside his mate was very, very hot. Slowly pumping his finger back and forth, the muscles around John’s hole relaxed, until Bane could work another finger in. 

John gasped as he rubbed something inside him. He repeated the movement and John gasped again, his body shaking slightly.

“Don’t,” John whispered, making Bane frowned. Why would his mate not accept the pleasure that Bane was offering him? He pushed a third finger, watching mesmerised as John’s body accepted him. Overcome, Bane pulled his fingers out and threw off his own clothes. He needed to bury himself in his mate now.

Lubing himself up, he spread his body over John. The head of his cock pressed against his mate’s rim but Bane hesitated. 

John suddenly bucked backwards, impaling himself completely on Bane’s cock and making him hiss at the sudden tightness. Bane grabbed hold John’s hips and held him completely still, while he panted at the onslaught of sensation and feeling. 

Pulling John backwards, Bane forced him up onto his hands and knees. John was still wearing his loose T-shirt, but at this angle the material hung down and Bane could almost pretend they were naked together. 

Remembering the spot inside John that he had touched with his fingers, Bane slowly pulled out and pushed tentatively back in. His mate didn’t react. He tried again and failed. John’s tight heat was a distraction. Bane had never done anything so _intimate_ before, had never been this close to anyone. He pushed in more forcefully and finally found that place that gave John such pleasure. Beneath him, his mate gave out a loud moan. Bane pushed back in again, faster and harder. John pushed his head up, his back suddenly taut; Bane ran a hand under John’s shirt and felt sweat covered muscles.

His mate let out a sudden, inarticulate yell and John’s body clenched around him, the muscles surrounding Bane’s cock spasmed. It felt like his beloved was getting even tighter. Bane could smell his mate’s come as it splattered onto the bed below.

His own orgasm was near, the urge to plunge hard and deep into his mate was overwhelming. He wanted to come inside John, he wanted John to moan and writhe as he filled him full of his spunk, because John was his. John’s body was his and no-one would ever take him away.

“John,” he gasped, biting his lip before he could say anything else. Before he could tell John how much he loved him. With one final push and a deep groan, he came.

* * *

He had never experienced anything so intimate with anyone before, and now he wasn’t even sure if John would welcome his embrace. Bane tightened his arms around the smaller man, pulling him backwards until he could feel John pressing against him; the entire lengths of their bodies touched. His soft cock nestled in his mate’s buttocks, their bodies fitting together perfectly. This was so much better than how they usually lay in bed. Bane’s hand rested on John’s stomach and he was almost scared of moving his fingers, in case something startled John and he decided to move away. 

John began struggling to get away almost immediately. He bucked his legs and strained his chest as he tried to sit up and move away from Bane. For a split second, Bane considered not releasing him, but he knew he could not trap his mate like that. 

He let John go and restrained his own sad sigh. John leapt from the bed and ran to the corner, vomiting copiously into the hole that served as their latrine. 

Bane watched impassively. His mate was so disgusted by him that sex had made him puke. Bane had never been as connected to another individual in his life; for him, it had been profound, for John, sickening. 

Bane stood and fetched John a bottle of water left over from their evening meal. He took it wordlessly, without flinching away from Bane.

“I don’t feel good. Sorry, bad timing.” John said quietly. Bane didn’t answer, he had no wish to hear John’s reasoning. 

“It wasn’t because of...cos of what we just did.” John continued. Standing, Bane moved back to the bed without acknowledging John’s lie; it was, after all, an unexpected kindness and he refrained from scoffing. 

When John came back to bed he lay on his back, his body infinitesimally closer to Bane than usual. Perhaps John had not been lying, perhaps he really was unwell. Bane reached out and felt his mate’s forehead, he didn’t have a fever although he smelled slightly different than normal; not ill, just different. 

“Are you in pain?” Bane asked, keeping his voice steady. Trapped in this cell he could not provide for his mate properly and the thought was enough to stir him to anger. 

“No, no. I just, I dunno, had to throw up. I feel fine now, actually I feel hungry, starving.”

There was nothing to eat in the cell, yet again he had failed his mate. 

“Sleep, in the morning you will eat your fill.”

John yawned, his mouth still smelled acidic from the vomit but Bane did not move away from him.

* * *

“Here you go, honeymooners!” the guard sneered hatefully as breakfast was delivered. Bane would not approach the tray until they had left. He refused to show his desperation to his captors, despite the look of longing on John’s face as he stared at the large bowl of porridge. 

“You looking forward to tonight, little bitch?” one of the other guards called out as the door shut behind them and Bane could no longer reach them; could not stop them as they insulted his mate. John flushed and lowered his head in shame. 

“Ooh, look! The slut’s gagging for it. You wanna know something? Your pet monster over there was asked if he wanted to be separated from you for the full moon, but he turned it down. Said he knew how much you loved his _knot_ up your ass!” the guard burst out laughing. Bane listened to their laughter as they walked away. He could hear their conversation long after they were out of human earshot; he wanted to rip their throats out.

John had made no move towards the food. He’d hunched even further over, tucking himself against the wall. 

“John,” Bane called softly. His mate just shook his head.

“Is it true? That...What they said?” John asked. Bane carried the tray over to him, but his mate did not eat. 

“In essence.” Bane said, trying to keep his voice calm. How could he explain himself to his mate? Why didn’t his mate trust him to be doing what was right for them?

John picked up the spoon and took a tentative mouthful of the steaming porridge.

“I was not so crude and my reasons were not - ” Bane cut himself off as his mate held up a hand to stop him.

“Look, I get it. This place fucking plays tricks on your mind and they’re just toying with us, like our lives are a goddamn game to them. So, let me guess, you would have had to do something you didn’t want to do and, in return, we’re separated for the full moon?”

Bane nodded, hiding his smile at his mate’s intelligence. His mate assumed he was a better man than he actually was, Bane could not imagine any inducement that would make him willingly separate from his mate at the the full moon.

* * *

By silent agreement, they both stripped naked before the change. John folded their clothes and tucked them under the bed as Bane watched his every movement. Even after spending a month living in such close quarters, this was the first time that John had willingly been completely naked in front of him. Bane drank in the sight greedily.

* * *

The wolf howled in pain as the human body shattered and reformed itself. His mate was waiting for him and he yearned for his little human. They were still trapped within thick walls and the wolf hated his lack of freedom, but that was no longer his main concern. His pregnant mate needed him. 

The wolf circled the cell, making sure that no-one could get in, that no-one would disturb his mate. When he was satisfied that they were safe, he approached his mate. His belly was not yet swollen but the wolf could smell the new lives within him. He nuzzled at his mate’s side and licked happily at his skin. This time his mate smelled only of him; of his human self, but that was acceptable. 

His mate lay back on the raised nest, the bed they shared in this den smelled strongly of the both of them. The man’s stomach was bared in submission, but the wolf had no urge to dominate. His mate already knew his place, besides he was stuffed full of the wolf’s pups. Now was not the time for mating, now he must protect his mate so that soon they would have their own pack. 

His little human shivered delicately. The wolf did not feel the cold, but the man had no fur and was so fragile that he needed to be warmed. Settling himself around his mate, the wolf lay his head on his mate’s belly. Tonight, he would not be able to rest; he must guard over his little mate. He licked at his mate’s belly again. His mate always tasted delicious.

The slight smell of fear that his mate had been letting off faded gradually as the wolf lay still. A small hand rested on top of his head, the wolf tensed. His mate should know better than to put himself above the wolf. Then the hand scratched lightly at his ears and the wolf understood; his mate was trying to groom him but without a long tongue he was forced to use his weak hands. The wolf huffed gently. It was so difficult to communicate with his human mate, but this was a gesture of affection and submission that they both understood. 

The night passed slowly. His mate fell asleep but the wolf continued to keep guard. In the distance, he could hear other humans and he had to stay awake to make sure they didn’t come close to his mate. 

It was almost dawn when he picked up the new scent, faint at first but getting ever stronger as the beast came closer. Somewhere, close by, there was another werewolf. The new wolf was silent though, and his scent was tinged with blood. The humans had captured him too.

The wolf rested his head back on his pregnant mate, the new wolf would not challenge him for his human but perhaps he would be a useful ally against the other humans. The wolf licked his mate again, the layer of sweat and dirt that seemed to cling to his mate had become reassuring familiar despite it’s initial strangeness. Even though he was trapped in this human cage, the wolf was content.


	6. Chapter 6

Bane gasped, the agony of the change far worse than normal. The mind of the wolf slinking away slowly as Bane became conscious of his surroundings. For the first time it felt like the wolf was trying to reach out to him, trying to communicate; but the beast was too feral. No human could understand the swirling mind that was all instinct and urges, without true thoughts. Bane tried to comprehend the wolf as it became increasingly desperate, but all he felt was the strange compulsion to sniff his surroundings. The sentiment was pushed at him again and again, before finally the wolf fell silent for another month.

The cell smelled no different to the way it had the previous evening. He had not understood what the wolf was trying to communicate to him. It is possible that the wolf had a more powerful sense of smell, that he sensed something else, but whatever it was, it was lost on Bane.

John lay supine on the bed, peering at him and not moving away as he approached. 

“Does it hurt? The change?” John asked timidly. Bane considered, he had never truly hoped to hide the pain of his transformations, he had assumed it was obvious. This was another thing he could not discuss with his mate until they were away from prying ears. 

“It is bearable.”

John nodded and pulled back the sheet, inviting Bane back into the bed. His mate was still naked and Bane saw a flash of skin before John arranged the sheets. On John’s hips were two rings of bruises in the shape of Bane’s own fingers, he had injured John when he had held onto him whilst they had been intimate. Bane gritted his teeth. It was shameful and wrong to have hurt his mate, yet he was torn; there was satisfying thrill in seeing his mate bearing the marks of their time together. 

“The wolf didn’t do anything last night. I think it worked. Us doing it, having sex before,” John said, turning to him, “You were gentler than I thought you’d be.”

Shame flooded him, he had injured his mate, he had bruised him and yet John thought that had been gentle. John must think him some kind of savage beast; but then, of course, he was.

* * *

When the guards opened the door of the cell to bring in breakfast, Bane knew what smell the wolf had been trying to communicate to him. The Pit stank of werewolf blood. They must have captured a second specimen. Bane had no particular allegiance to werewolves, but he pitied the new werewolf.

* * *

“We should be in this together, we’re both prisoners. But you! You say you’re going to kill me! That I’m your _mate,_ ” John’s voice rose steadily as he spoke, his frustration and anger obvious. Bane tried to remember when he had ever threatened to hurt John, and recalled with agonising precision. If John touched another, he would kill him, the jealousy that flamed through him was almost overwhelming even now.

Bane reached out and touched John’s hand gently. His mate didn’t move away. He wished so much that he could explain himself to John, but everything they said was monitored and he was trapped in silence. If he could just explain things to John, if he could make him understand; they could be happy together. Until he was away from the Pit, he couldn’t risk being open with him. In the meantime, he would have to endure his mate’s rejection. John’s fingers curled slightly around his hand, not quite holding onto him but not a dismissal.

* * *

John’s appetite had increased. He still ate less than half of the food provided, but he was becoming eager to eat. Part of Bane rejoiced, John’s appetite was a sign of his mental wellbeing. However, there was only just enough food for the two of them and once John began to eat more heartily Bane was left with less food. Rationally, it was John who should be eating less. Their escape would, ultimately, depend on Bane’s strength, but he did not have the heart to deny John food; even though the young man’s stomach was already larger than it had been. 

Their rations did not increase and Bane found himself increasingly hungry. It was hardly a new feeling; the prisoners of the Pit were often neglected and food had always been a source of contention. At least this time Bane could be proud of his hunger. It was a sign of the increased health of his mate.

* * *

“It’s been a week since the full moon,” John said, almost petulantly, “and they haven’t taken either of us out since then.”

“Are you worried they have forgotten about us?” Bane asked, smiling at his mate. He would not tell John about the smell of werewolf that bombarded him every time the guards opened the door to bring food. When he had first been captured they had put him through so many tests and he suspected that they were doing the same to the new wolf. 

John shrugged and leaned his head against the plastic wall. 

“I just want to go home,” he whispered, making Bane’s heart clench; this cell, with John, was the closest he had ever come to having a true home.

* * *

It had been two weeks since the last full moon, and the arrival of the new wolf, when Bane first heard a noise coming from outside his cell. A low whisper repeating the itself again and again.

“ _Brother, help me. Brother, help me._ ”

John didn’t react to the noise. It must too quiet for him to hear. The low whispering went on for minutes before finally stopping. Again, John showed no sign that he noticed any change. Bane studied his mate thoughtfully. John was getting fat. His belly swelling and his chest becoming puffy, despite the poor diet they were provided with. Perhaps he truly was ill. 

When they left the Pit, he would rescue the other wolf as well. They may have no allegiance beyond being the same species, but maybe that was enough of a reason. As yet, Bane had not answered the other wolf’s whispered pleas. He did not know if their captors knew that he could hear the other wolf and he would not reveal himself now. Not after he had already hidden so much from his mate just so that the guards would not realise the advantages he had over them.

* * *

_Brother, please, help me._

The whisper sounded louder as Bane lay in bed, John touching his side tantalisingly. It was still early, breakfast would not arrive for hours but neither had slept well. 

“I think there’s something wrong with me,” John said softly, his hand tracing the new curve of his belly through the bed sheet. “Like, I must be getting sick.”

John did smell different, yet Bane found his change of scent oddly reassuring and he could not believe illness would make his mate smell so sweet. John closed his eyes, pretending to sleep, but Bane could hear his heart racing with fear. 

“Do you think about what we did? Before the last full moon?” John asked, his eyes still closed and his heart racing in his chest. Bane allowed himself a small smile.

“Yes, little -” Bane heard the click of the machine that signaled gas was now being pumped into the cell, “ - one.” Bane pressed himself closer to John, knowing that his mate was already unconscious.

When the guards entered the cell, they took only John with them. Bane considered making an escape attempt immediately, but by the time he understood that they would not be taking him too, it was too late.

* * *

It was evening when they brought him back.

John’s eyes were red and swollen. He had been crying, must have been crying for hours. The guard opened the door and John hesitated to step into the cell. The guard pushed his tranq gun into John’s back until he stumbled forward. Bane was confused, surely his mate had been coming to accept him? Why this sudden reluctance to return to him? What had they done to him this time?

“Do you know how eager I was when I first heard about this program? I couldn’t volunteer fast enough. And it wasn’t just about the money, I just _knew_ that this place would make me famous! But I never even dreamed of this! Why, this is the biggest scientific breakthrough since Watson and Crick!” the bespectacled man crowed. The door slammed shut behind John, who flinched heavily and stepped into the far corner; away from Bane.

“And so many of them! The experiments we’ll be able to do! No more hunting down wild werewolves and having to half kill them just to control them. No, this way will be perfect! I’ll be able to breed as many as I need!”

John slid down onto the floor and started to cry. Bane could not understand what this man was saying, it made no sense and the only explanation that Bane could think of was impossible.

* * *

“They told me it was probably stomach cancer, and then they started doing all these tests. That man, the one with the glasses, started touching me. My stomach and, and my ass. Put my legs in stirrups to keep them apart and prodded me with metal instruments. Inside me.”

Bane tried to hold back a growl. John wasn’t crying anymore, he seemed dazed and Bane had no idea how to comfort him. 

“Are you going to kill me now? Because someone else touched me?”

“No,” Bane said, sitting down on the floor next to John. His mate shuffled closer, so that they were touching. 

“I don’t want to be pregnant,” John whispered as Bane felt his heart clench. His mate was carrying his pups. It seemed impossible, but then it also seemed like it would be impossible to change into a wolf every month. Bane allowed himself a brief moment of happiness; he had a mate whom he loved and soon he would have a family, a pack. Now, there could be no more waiting around for the perfect moment to escape. They had already been here too long.

* * *

“Do you want? I know we’re already...pretty intimate...but all those people touched my stomach, and you haven’t, and you’re the..the father, I guess.” John said as they lay in bed. It was earlier than usual; but John was exhausted and Bane wanted to be near him. Bane didn’t answer, he hated that John smelled of other people. He wanted to touch John all over, everywhere that anyone else had touched him, but that wasn’t what John was offering. 

Bane put his hand on John’s stomach. The bump seemed larger than it had before. 

John put his hand on top of Bane’s, his small fingers fitting snugly in between Bane’s fingers.

“Did you know? That this was a possibility?” John asked softly. Bane squeezed his fingers and then removed his hand from John’s belly. He could not admit his lack of knowledge in front of their captors; but it pained him that John would think that Bane had done this to him on purpose. He pulled the thin duvet over them both and then put his hand back on John’s stomach. Slowly, so that to the cameras it would look like another caress, he traced the word ‘No’ across John’s stomach. 

John stiffened and he turned quickly to look Bane full in the face, his eyes wide and his mouth already open to ask more questions.

“Hush,” Bane said softly and silenced him by pressing his lips to John’s mouth. John’s lips snapped shut, but he did not pull away.


	7. Chapter 7

_Please, Brother, please, help me_

The air smelled just as strongly of blood when the guards brought breakfast. Whatever experiments they were doing to the the new wolf, they were far more bloody than anything they had tried with Bane. 

Breakfast was double the normal amount of food. It was a small mercy and Bane would not be grateful to his captors for their consideration. John still hesitated to touch the food, even though the porridge had been served in two bowls for the first time. Bane served him, placing the bowl on the floor in front of a cross legged John. His mate smiled at him. He blinked in astonishment and tried to return the smile. Now that he knew why his mate was larger Bane relished the sight of his belly, already so distended. 

He sat down next to his mate on the cobbled floor and they ate their breakfast together in silence. The day dragged by as any other, but Bane stayed closer to his mate, revelling each time his mate didn’t reject his advances.

* * *

“You never answered my question,” John said into the darkness of their cell. His belly seemed to make it harder for John to get comfortable at night. His mate no longer put so much effort into not touching him. Now, he lay on his side so that his belly brushed against Bane; the heat of his mate beguilingly close. 

“Your question?” Bane asked, he could not think of a single time that he had avoided interacting with his mate. 

“Do you ever think about what we did before the last full moon?” John’s voice was soft, almost teasing. Bane imagined that this must be what it was to flirt with someone. It was not a skill he had ever had to practice. 

“Yes.”

John sat up slowly, twisting so that he didn’t have to lift his belly. Bane’s hand slipped onto John’s stomach. His mate gave a soft gasp, as if he didn’t know how much Bane constantly craved his mate. He let his fingers caress the tight skin of John’s stomach, before regretfully pulling away. 

“Do you..Would you want to do it again? Even if it weren’t necessary?” John said quietly, blushing faintly in the dark so that only Bane could see it. 

“Yes.”

His mate bent down and put his lips on Bane’s in a gentle kiss. He wanted to touch John, to cup his mate’s cheek in his hand, but he daren’t. He couldn’t risk startling John. Couldn’t take the risk that he would decide it was all a mistake and move away. 

“Even though I’m...bigger now?” John asked. Bane didn’t know how to tell him that he had never seen anyone more beautiful than John. That he would be happy if the only thing he ever saw for the rest of his life was John’s face. 

“Even though,” Bane said, unable to explain himself. John snorted and pulled away from him.

* * *

The guards stood by the open door, their tranq guns trained on him.

“Come here, John. Let’s not make this anymore difficult than it has to be,” the bespectacled scientist called out. John glanced at Bane, but then stood and left the cell before Bane could respond. He curled his lip in frustration. 

“Good, good. Now,” the man put his hands on his mate’s protruding stomach, “Any pain? Hmm?”

The man prodded John’s stomach sharply and Bane saw him flinch slightly. John shook his head. Bane wanted the man dead. He wanted to rip his hands off for daring to defile John. 

“Good. That’s good. Of course, this batch will be more of a trial run. Now we know what to expect we’ll be more prepared for the next lot, eh?”

He jabbed at John’s stomach again.

* * *

_Brother, help me._

They hadn’t gassed the cell in so long. Bane paced in frustration. He hadn’t left the cell in weeks and he cursed the memory of every time he had left and not tried to escape. It should have never come to this. 

John’s belly was obscenely large. He waddled whenever he walked, although most of the time he lay on the bed. Every sheet and scrap of material in the cell was strewn around John as he relaxed in his little nest. 

John seemed tired most of the time and, although he didn’t seem to be pain, Bane was hesitant to touch him.

* * *

The gas hissed into their cell and Bane knew that this would be the last time. They had to leave now. He lowered John gently to the bed, his mate’s knees buckling as he quickly passed out. Bane stumbled away from him and lay nearer the door. This was a better place to attack the guards from. 

“Now, brother,” Bane said. He didn’t raise his voice, he knew the other werewolf would hear him. Closing his eyes, he waited.

* * *

The first guards into his cell didn’t even have their tranq guns out. Bane smashed their skulls together in with a satisfying crack of bone. He was too busy picking up John to watch as the dead guards slumped to the floor. 

The other werewolf’s cell was away from the exit but it would not take long to find him. 

“Brother,” Bane said, his voice calm and not betraying his panic, “Where are you?”

There was silence. Had the other werewolf not heard him? He did not have time to search the Pit, he had to get John away from here as quickly as possible. He heard the soft tread of footfalls, a man was limping towards him. The other werewolf had already escaped his cell. 

“Brother,” the werewolf whispered, but now Bane could see him for the first time. The man was thin and sickly looking, he had obviously been beaten and tortured. For a second he feared that this new wolf would challenge him for his beautiful mate. 

The man stopped and looked at Bane appraisingly. 

“They tried to knock me out too. They wanted to see us in combat,” the man said softly. There was no time for this, but Bane was loath to show any stranger his back. He needed to be sure he could trust this man. 

“I’m Barsad. Brother, I swear to you, I am no threat to you. Please, brother, let us leave.”

It was that appeal, the same one that he’d been hearing floating into his cell that convinced Bane. Even if the other werewolf turned on him later, Bane would best him easily. 

“Come on,” Bane said, turning and hurrying towards the exit of the Pit and the door that would take them into the human’s lair. Barsad’s limp didn’t slow him down and he quickly caught up with Bane. 

“Let me take him, you’re stronger, you’ll need to fight.”

It was true, even though Bane hated the thought of this strange werewolf touching his John. He handed him over. The werewolf lifted him easily. John’s belly hung from Barsad’s shoulder and slowed him down more than the limp had. Bane watched closely, waiting for Barsad to do anything wrong, to touch him inappropriately. If he showed the slightest treachery, Bane would kill him instantly. 

“You have been blessed, brother,” Barsad said, Bane nodded and they continued on their way. This was hardly the time to discuss his mate. 

There was no alarm sounding, no other guards anywhere in the Pit. They had fooled the humans into complacency, they thought both werewolves were unconscious and their security was low. Once they had left the Pit, they found themselves in a brightly lit corridor. Bane knew the way, but he had never seen this place before. He had always had to keep his eyes closed. 

“Do you wish to leave? Or do you want vengeance?” Barsad asked, stopping Bane as he turned right along the corridor. 

“I want my mate to be safe, there is nothing else.”

Barsad nodded, looking understanding. 

“Do you think they will ever stop hunting you if you leave anyone here alive? This way,” Barsad pointed to the left, “This way and we can kill them all. Stop all this now.” 

It was tempting. He wanted revenge and he wanted the world to be free of these monsters. But more than that, he wanted John to be safe. 

“We go right.”

Barsad didn’t argue, he didn’t even look like he disagreed. John squirmed a little, he was beginning to come round. They ran into three more guards. Bane killed them quickly but one of them had time to call for assistance. He hated snapping their necks. He recognised these men, they had all delivered meals to him and John, they had all sneered and made lewd remarks to John. They did not deserve such clean deaths. They deserved to suffer and feel pain for their last few seconds in this world. The next guard he came across he smashed into a wall. He enjoyed the loud snap of bone. 

He could hear more guards coming. He could not count how many there were, just that it was a large group. They would all be carrying tranq guns, which Bane would be more susceptible to than bullets. He could fight through pain, but not something that knocked him unconscious. 

The door that Bane had been so sure was the exit lead to a large lobby. There was a door on the far side with a sign showing a picture of some stairs. The door itself looked heavy; even if Bane could not find a way to jam it shut he would be able to hold the door closed while Barsad escaped with John.

Once they got to the stairs they would be nearly safe. They were so near. Bane grabbed at Barsad and pulled at him as they ran across the lobby. They almost made it to the stairs. 

Bane let got of Barsad and, opening the door, ran through it. Barsad was just behind him when the guards came into the lobby. For a second, Bane thought they would make it but gunshots rang out and Barsad seemed to twist as he ran. It was such a fast movement, but suddenly John was not the one in the bullets path, Barsad was. 

There was a wet crunch as the bullet went into Barsad’s back and he stumbled forward just as Bane closed the door behind them. They were safe for now. The door had a bolt on this side and the guards would have to break the door down to get at them. Bane heard more gunshots, but no bullet got through that heavy door.

John opened his eyes just as Barsad started to pant. A little blood dribbled from Barsad’s mouth. John looked around desperately until he saw Bane. Barsad slithered to the ground as John awkwardly stumbled to his feet.

“Relax, little one. We are nearly safe.” Bane said, but John pushed fretfully away from Barsad’s shoulder and knelt in front of him. John’s clothes were splattered with Barsad’s blood. 

“Brother,” Barsad’s voice sounded broken and a tiny bubble of blood formed between his lips, bursting when he continued speaking, “You must, you must get him to safety. My home, the Urals, safe, for us.”

John was trying to get at Barsad’s wound, trying to staunch the blood flow, but Bane knew it was too late. There had been something else in that bullet, something fatal, although he didn’t know what. 

“Peace, brother. You die a free man,” Bane said, but Barsad was already gone. Bane ran a hand over the werewolf’s face and closed the dead man’s eyes. He pulled John away from the corpse and they climbed to freedom.


	8. Chapter 8

They were free. The air was colder than Bane had expected it to be and, even with the bright light of the stars, it was still dark. This escape was so different to the last time he had left the Pit. Then he had been led out as a triumphant hero, Talia hugging him and trucks waiting to take him further from the Pit. This time he stumbled to freedom, hoping that John would not try to run away from him. 

The moon had not risen yet, but it would soon. John stumbled, his clothes were so baggy apart from where the cloth was stretched tight over his belly. He looked so tired but Bane knew he could not help him. He could feel the pain of the change already.

* * *

The wolf panicked. He did not understand how his human form had let this happen. They were outside and his mate was about to give birth. He could feel the human’s temperature rising, his body readying itself. He had to find somewhere safe, but he could not leave his mate unguarded. He whined his frustration. His mate smelled of blood and smoke and human things and the other werewolf. He wanted to lick every part of his mate, to clean him and purge him of all scents apart from his own. But there wasn’t time. 

He paced away from the human, scanning the horizon for somewhere to go. Somewhere they could make their den. He turned back and returned to his mate. He did not know what was best and the wolf did not like it. Life should be simple; mate and food and shelter. He whined again. 

His mate stumbled but he was beside him in an instant. His mate rested against him and the two moved slowly forwards. In the distance there were mountains. They would go there. It would be easier to hide when the land was not so flat. 

It took hours, his little mate was not steady on his feet but the wolf supported him. In the mountains he found a rock to hide his mate behind. He could not tell him to stay there, but the human sat on the ground just where he wanted him to. He licked his mate’s face. He would return soon. 

Without his mate, he could run. He could not smell any other humans in the mountains. They would be safe, but they needed somewhere more hidden. Somewhere not exposed. 

He found a human den. It was old, and no human had been here for some time. The air was stale, but it was sheltered. This would suit his mate. 

When he returned to his mate, the human was asleep. He put his nose to his neck and the human flinched and hissed. He turned to lead his mate to their new den, but his human did not follow. He growled, but the human remained on the ground. This was not how his mate should behave. He had provided for his mate, he had sought shelter and his mate should appreciate it. He should submit and obey. He growled again, showing his mate his teeth. 

Reminded of his place, his mate stumbled to his feet. Again, he let his mate lean upon him and they trudged slowly on. 

Once his mate saw their new den he walked more quickly, barely relying on him for support. The wolf huffed his pleasure, his mate liked their new home. Life was better now he was mated. He licked his mate’s belly. 

Inside their den, his mate stripped off his coverings and lay, naked on the ground. He licked his mate’s belly again. With his tongue he could feel the pups inside him, squirming and ready to come out. He licked his mate’s hole. It was hot and loose. His mate opened his legs wider and the wolf could lick with ease, even though soon the human had fallen asleep. His mate snored but the wolf knew he could not sleep. He would guard over his little mate all night.

* * *

Bane barely felt the pain of transformation. He was sick with fear, but when he opened his eyes he realised they had not been recaptured. They were safe. They were in a mud hut, probably an old, abandoned shepherd’s hut. It was not ideal, but certainly far better than remaining exposed outside. 

“Bane?” John croaked, his mate was breathing rapidly and his naked body was blotchy and flushed. He laid a hand on John’s belly and was surprised at how hot it felt. There didn’t seem to be anything he could do. 

“You need water,” Bane said keeping his voice low and hiding his own concern. 

“No! No! Don’t leave me here!” John said, catching hold of his hand and keeping it pressed on his belly. Bane sighed and sat uselessly next to his mate. He could feel John’s lower body spasming against him with increasing frequency. The hut was silent apart from the echoes of John’s heavy breathing, somehow John managed to fall asleep. It seemed like hours had passed before anything happened. Bane found a broken gourd in a corner of the hut and slipped away to find water while John dozed. There was a small stream nearby and his absence went unnoticed by his sleeping mate. 

John screamed suddenly, the noise cutting through the still morning air and terrifying Bane. He knelt between John’s legs and watched avidly. John’s lower body convulsed as his asshole widened and out came a ball of black and mucus. Bane wiped the amniotic fluid from his child and held the tiny pup; it was small enough to fit on the palm of his hand. Its damp fur stuck to its body and its eyes were closed. Its tiny pink nose looked so clean, so perfect in the middle of a wrinkly face covered in short black fur. It was the most beautiful thing Bane had ever seen. It was also entirely dead.

There was no time to mourn, no time to feel anything but shock as John was already convulsing again. His mate had not spoken, had not asked about the fate of his first born. This time, when the pup emerged from John’s belly Bane was already expecting it to be dead. Again he wiped away the amniotic sac and rubbed frantically at his second son’s body, but he would not breath. 

Never, in all his life, had Bane been as afraid as he was at that moment. How many more pups would John give birth too? Would they all be dead? John hadn’t known he was pregnant for over half the pregnancy. He hadn’t eaten enough, perhaps that had been what caused his children’s death. The gas that had so often knocked John out, that must have done untold damage to the foetuses; Bane should have ensured that they had escaped much sooner. He had put his mate in so much danger by allowing them to stay there as long as he had, and now he was paying for his mistakes. 

He held his two stillborn sons to his chest and remembered that day in the water well. He had let John splutter below the surface when they had pretended to drown, he had pulled his own mate down into the water. Was that when his children had died?

John groaned, his head rolling on the ground. Bane could barely stand to look at him, he was so overwhelmed with guilt. His mate’s body was still convulsing, the contractions still as strong as they had been before; but Bane didn’t want to anything else to come out, didn’t want to see another dead pup. His mate pushed out two afterbirths and then collapsed onto the floor, exhausted. Bane tried to give him some water, but he refused it, pushing Bane away weakly. 

John dozed fitfully as Bane kept watch. He did not dare leave John even for a minute, he kept the corpses of his two children next to him, hiding them behind his body so that John would not be able to see them if he looked over. John did not look over. 

The third pup was covered in amniotic fluid but it squirmed awkwardly when it fell out of John and into Bane’s waiting hands. Bane felt tears in his eyes, although he could not understand why. It would all be worth it, the pain, the struggle, the stillbirths, if this one pup lived. He rubbed its chest, even as the pup began to turn a little blue. He could not let this one die as well. 

The pup gave a deep breath and began to breath normally, his little limbs wriggling about weakly in Bane’s hand. His eyes were screwed shut but he was clearly eager to explore his new world. Bane kissed his head gently, unsure what to do with the little creature now that his life was assured. 

It was two hours before John gave birth again. Bane sat on the floor holding the sleeping form of his only living son in one hand, whilst his other hand rested on top of his two dead sons. The fourth child was another son, who came out lively and strong despite his blindness. Bane watched his two sons snuggle close to one another in awe. It was a miracle that he had had any part of making these amazing creatures, but he loved them more than anything in the world. They were so delicate and fragile, so unlike himself. The fifth child was a daughter. She was larger than the others and the fur on her face was a light brown. 

Once John pushed out the last afterbirth, Bane knew there would be no more. John seemed to lose his lethargy and although he remained lying he seemed more aware than he had for the past many hours. 

“They need milk.”

“Keep them the fuck away from me,” John answered, lying exhausted on the floor, his eyes closed and his hair wet with sweat. He knew that even being pregnant had been difficult for John to accept, and that the idea of such a quick gestation that was so unhuman, so animal-like would disturb him, but now was hardly the time for squeamishness.

Bane stepped closer, he wanted to intimidate John, he wanted to force him to love their pups. They had made these children together and his mate would not deny them now. 

“Keep them warm whilst I bury the stillborns and then I will take the others.” Bane wanted to keep his voice steady, but this was his family, his mate and his pups.

He dug a hole with his hands. His sons were so small and so light he could hold them both with one hand. They would never grow any bigger, nor would their eyes ever open. Their fat little bellies were still and their tiny limbs hung limply.

He had always believed that Talia would be the closest he came to a child of his own, but remembering her seemed so strange. It was a lifetime ago. A lifetime that had been hard and death had always been so nearby. He had killed many. He had never grieved for the dead. Their suffering had ended. 

He held his two eldest sons in his hands and wept silent tears for the lives that had never been lived. He would have loved these two. He would have been a father to them. Bane had no recollection of his own parents, but his own children would always know they were loved. Bane swore to himself that he would spend the rest of his life being a good father to all his pups. He would make their mother love them.

* * *

John lay on his back, two pups lying on his chest and the third tucked against his side. He opened his eyes as Bane came back into the hut.

“They’re not...they’re just dogs.”

“They are our children. They will turn when they are older,” Bane said with an authority that was entire false. The children were not wolves, they must be werewolves, which meant they would become human, soon. 

John picked up the female pup, even with her eyes still firmly closed she recognised her mother, and nuzzled into John’s hand.

“Unless you give them milk they will die.”

John’s chest was still as puffy as it had been when he was pregnant. One of the pups latched onto his nipple and John flinched, turning his head away to avoid watching as the pup suckled from him. Bane stepped closer and gently pushed the other pup sitting on John’s chest towards his other nipple before taking the third pup from John’s hand. Holding his daughter to his chest, he felt a small mouth gently pull on his own dry nipple. He smiled fondly, holding the pup closer but careful to be gentle with his fragile child. 

“They will need names,” Bane said, watching as his mate slowly looked down at the two pups on his chest. Hesitantly John raised a hand to stroke his son’s back. 

“I’m so tired,” John said, not looking away from the suckling pups. 

“Feed your daughter, and then sleep.”

John looked up at him in confusion. They had slept side by side for the past two months, but that had been out of necessity. Now they were away from the Pit, Bane knew he would no longer be welcome at John’s side. 

“Aren’t you going to sleep too?” he asked, still staring at Bane in puzzlement. John shuffled awkwardly over, making more space on the floor next to him. It was a small gesture but it was more acceptance than Bane had ever hoped to have from his mate. John hadn’t even questioned that they would continue sleeping together. 

He lay down and wrapped his arm across John so he could touch every living member of his new family at once.

* * *

He woke hungry, with John snuggled into his side and three pups asleep on his chest. His back ached from sleeping on the floor all day. He kissed John’s forehead and, carefully depositing each pup, stood and left their little hut. 

It was completely dark by the time he returned, a young deer slung over his shoulders. Hunting had not been easy, especially when he was so drained. He dropped the fawn outside the hut and went inside. John had put his pants on and was on his feet, clutching the gourd as if it were a weapon. Bane looked around, but could not see the pups. He flared with anger, had John despised them so much that he had killed them? 

John dropped the gourd, tears in his eyes as he flung his arms around Bane’s neck. Tears smeared wetly onto his bare chest. 

“I thought you were gone! And then I heard someone coming and I..I..” John hiccuped. Bane cursed himself. He had not even realised that John would be a danger to his pups. An unwilling mother perhaps, yes. But how could he have been so stupid as to leave them here with John? It was so obvious that he hated them. Had been disgusted by them. 

“Where are they?” Bane asked, keeping his voice steady. He would kill his mate for this. All five of his children were dead now. There could be no forgiveness. John pulled away from him. Bane let him go. He would be easy to catch later, after he’d seen the fresh corpses. Seen how their mother had killed them. 

John went to the corner of the hut and carefully picked up his blood splattered T-shirt, slowly carrying it towards Bane. The three pups were encircled in John’s arms. Fast asleep. Bane had to touch them to make sure, to feel their little heartbeats and their breath on his fingertip. They looked older already. Their fur had dried and now it fluffed up, making it look as if they had grown over the course of a day. 

“Where were you?” John asked, but Bane could only stare in wonder at the pups. 

“Hunting.”

He should apologise to his mate for thinking so badly of him. 

“Are you hungry?” he asked instead. John nodded and Bane left to prepare the deer and start a fire. He wanted John back in his arms. He wanted to be able to enjoy it this time. He wanted to tell John what it felt like to hunt, what he had discovered about this area and the things he had seen. 

John came outside once the meat was on the fire and had started to smell. He still carried the pups around with him, not letting them wriggle away. 

“Have you thought of three names you like?” John asked, watching the fire.

“Five,” Bane corrected. John looked at him with a frown. “Two were stillborn.”

John looked away. Bane wondered if John didn’t remember the first two births or didn’t care. He decided he didn’t want to know. As long as John loved the three that had lived; Bane would love all five of them. 

“You have any thoughts about what the hell we’re going to do now?” John asked. Bane shrugged. 

“I assumed you wanted to return to Gotham.” 

“Have you ever been in to Gotham? Don’t you know what the werewolves there are like? It’s...Fuck, it wouldn’t be safe. Not for them.” John looked away, as if he were embarrassed to have said something that could be construed as caring for his own children. “I don’t know what to do or, or where the fuck to take them.” Tears fell freely down his cheek now. He clutched the pups to him. Bane watched in astonishment. 

“Where are we going to go, Bane?” John asked plaintively. Bane gazed down at his little family. John was going to stay with them, John did not want to be parted from his pups and he had recognised Bane as his mate. He pulled some meat from the fire and handed it to John. 

“Barsad said the Urals would be safe.”

John blew on the hot meat to cool it before nodding thoughtfully. 

“He was a good man. Do you think Barsad would make a good name?”

Bane smiled. A broad, genuine smile for the first time in so long. 

“Yes, it would make a good name.” 

Bane put his hand on John’s knee and felt his mate sigh and relax against him. His daughter waddled slightly as she tried to escape John and clamber onto Bane’s thigh. They could stay here until John was strong enough to travel. There was fresh water and good hunting. They were isolated enough to be safe for a little while, but there was a small village a few miles away. Once John was settled, he could sneak into the village and get John the Coca-Cola that he had so long ago decided he wanted to give John. He had time for that now. He could make markers for his sons graves, so that they would not lie forgotten.

Later, they would make their way to the Urals and make a home together. It would be perfect. It would be perfect because he had John and their children with him now. He rubbed his hand in a tight circle around John’s knee and, with a happy sigh, let his cheek rest on top of John’s head.


End file.
